Machine for grading fruit.



C. FORBES. MACHINE Fon GRADING'FRUH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20, 19H.

Patented May 9,1916.

ed May 9, 1916.

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UNITED STTES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES FORBES, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR GRADING FRUIT.

Application led October 20, 1911.

To aU whom t may concern Be it known that l, CHARLES F ounns, a citizen of the United States. residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Grading F ruit. of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to a fruit sorter o1' grader. by which apples, peaches, pears. and other like fruit may be separated into any number of desired sizes.

It belongs to that type of graders in which the fruit passes through a V-shaped slot: the smallest fruit passing first and the largest last.

The following is a description of the construction and operation of the apparatus.

Figure 1. is a side view of the machine with the front cut away through the line iii-A in Fig. 2. which is a top view or plan. Fig. 3. is an enlarged sectional view of the upper half of the cylindrical pulley through the line B-B Fig. 1. Fig. 4. an enlarged sectional view through the line C-C Fig. 2.

In Figs. 1 and 2. the suj'iporting framework is represented at 1-111 and the posts QveeZe-QY-Q. ln Figs. 1 and 2. wide carrying belt is represented at and passing around the two cylindrical pulleys lli-l. This belt may be guided by a row of blocks 5 &c.. attached to its inner surface running in the groove in the pulley at 6 Fig. and in the groove t3 in the, supporting The tension of the belt is regulated by means of the bolts T-T-i--T which regulate the distance of the pulleys fl and 4. apart. rlhe upper or carrying` fold of the belt is supported by the supporting board Off) resting upon and extending from the cross bars S-S Fig. 1 seen in section Fig. 4. This supporting board slants downward laterally both ways from its middle. The belt is brought into contact with the board by means of the dcpressors 10-10. Figs. Q and l. (ln each side of the wide belt S 3 there is a narrow one. The relative position of each is represented by the dark lines 11-11 in the four figures. Each may be traced from the cylindrical pulley 4 on the left to the small pulley7 1Q Fig. 1. thence downward around the right hand pulley 4 back to the starting point. ln the upper part of the journey each belt is guided and supported by the grooved supporting board 13, from 13 to 13. The sup- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Serial No. 655,813.

porting board 13 13 is lengthened by the adjustable extension 14, Figs. 1 and Q. The tension of the belts is regulated by the bolts 157#1 The width of the Vshaped opening is adjusted by raising or lowering the slotted support 1li Fig. 1. and secured in place by the bolt 1T. 0n the surface of the left hand pulley 11. Fig. 1 are triangular projections represented by 18418. The rotation of the pulley will result in the lower edge of the hopper 19. being lifted by the contact of each triangular piece. lf the triangular pieces are alternately placed at the ends of the pulley. the hopper will be given a tilting motion: the frequency depending upon the number of triangular pieces.

The grader may be actuated by means of the crank Q0 or the pulley 21. Fig. 2. These are interchangeable.

In Fig. 1. are loops 22-22-2'2 in canvas attached at the ends at 8 8. These loops receive the fruit as it Apasses through the grader. Their inclination should be such that the fruit will readily roll downward. Cross pieces 9.3-23, are supports for the canvas. These cross pieces are in turn supported from the framework 1 1 by means of hooks 24-21. The number of grades and size of cach into which the fruit is sorted depends upon the number and width of the loops in the canvas or its equivalent.

In operating the machine proceed as follows. Set the machine in motion. Place the fruit into thehopper 19. The agitation of thc hopper by the triangular projections 12S- 18. will facilitate the movement of the fruit. The amount of agitation may be regulated by raising or lowering the front edge of the hopper. lVhen necessary the flow of fruit may be governed by the flap arrangement represented by 25. Fig. 1. After the passage of the fruit from the hopper it is carried forward by the belts, principally supported by the wide one 3. In this arrangement there is no rolling, sliding or jamming of the fruit. The fruit moves onward until each particular piece finds proper width between the V-shaped inclined belts7 when it rolls from the inclined side of the wide belt into the canvas receptacle below. lV hen the fruit is irregular in shape like the pear. it is made to go lengthwise by the following arrangements. In one, the narrow carrying belts are made to go at a different speed from the larger belt. This is accomplished by the pulleys of the narrow belts having a different diameter from that of the larger belt, as illustrated at 11 and 3, Fig. 3. The other way which, is very efficient, is by means of an obstruction 26- Fig. 2 lixed rigidly to the guiding board 13-13. The projecting end of the fruit, will in its onward passage come into contact with the obstruction 26 and turn lengthwise in its course. This is illustrated with the pear 27, Fig. 2. After the fruit has passed into the canvas loops 22-*22-22 it may be allowed to be gathered into any convenient retainer. A very convenient way to dispose of the fruit is to allow it to pass into the tray 30-30 Fig. 2. Partitions 313l may be placed across the tray to keep the grades of fruit separated. A similar tray may be placed on the opposite side. If the trays are hinged they may be allowed to hang downward when not in use; and when in use supported by supporting rods 32-32. The fruit in the trays is in a convenient position to be packed into baskets or any suitable shipping vessel. It is evident that the cylindrical pulleys 4:-4 Fig. l, need not be each in one entire piece. The portions carrying the narrow belts may be separated from that carrying the wide belt. The separation may be made through the line 33-33, as seen in Fig. 3. This will admit of the distances between the small belts to be varied when an additional adjustment lis desired in connection with the regular adjustment at l-Fig. 1.

opies ot this patent may be obtained for In Figs. 1 and 2, fruit is represented at Q8`29. Carrying belts may be substituted for the canvas loops 22-22-22, Fig. l, when the fruit has to be carried away from the grader.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

1. A grader comprising a laterally inclined conveying belt and a vertically divcrging grading belt cooperating therewith and providing between the same a gradually expanding grading opening.

Q. A grader comprising a bilaterally inclined conveying and vertically diverging grading belts providing gradually expanding grading openings between said conveying and grading belts.

3. A grader comprising a bilaterally inclined conveying belt, a pair of vertically diverging grading belts cooperating therewith and grooved supporting rails for said belts.

4. A grader comprising a bilaterally inclined conveying belt, a pair of upwardly diverging grading belts coperating therewith, grooved supporting rails for said belts and adjustable supports for said rails, whereby the divergence of the grading belts may be varied.

CHARLES FORBES. lVitnesses VICTOR E. FoRBEs, JOSEPH E. PUTNAM.

Washington, D. C." 

